I don't think this story will make it to a full published story. That being said, I decided that I wanted to get this done, especially as von Stroheim is ridiculously fun to write (especially in an AU where he's not a Nazi), so here it is.

That being said, I have some potential new crossovers in the pipeline, with most revolving around the anime series GATE: Thus the JSDF Fought There. Watch this space...

POST TENEBRAS SPERO LUCEM

CHAPTER 2:

EXPLANATIONS

Harry hadn't been expecting to wake up ever again, at least not a (relatively) free man. Not that being confined to a room with UV lamps shining down on him, making him feel sluggish, was freedom, but still, while he was wary of the Joestars, he also knew that they were opposed to Dio. Dio had often waxed lyrical about his hatred for them and the Speedwagon Foundation whenever Harry met him.

Dio hadn't told him what they had done to them, but Jonathan promised to do so shortly. He could sense wariness and fear from them, but not hatred. And some clothing had been sent through, along with rubber gloves. Harry wondered at that, but decided to go along with it. So did Tonks.

Ah, Tonks. He remembered having that precocious childish love for her when they were young, before Dio's agents kidnapped them. In fact, they were on a date at Hogsmeade, or at least what you could call one, when they were taken. Tonks had become his sole rock during those nine years of hell, the only person he could trust as they were experimented upon. Especially after he learned who had sold him to Dio.

Eventually, they were led through from the laboratory they woke up in through to…well, it was like living quarters. A little Spartan, true, and the UV lamps were on, but it was better than what they had in Dio's lab. A table had been set up in the middle, and Harry realised that there was food there…and so was the burly, blue-haired man who had introduced himself as Jonathan Joestar earlier. "Good afternoon," he said politely. He had changed from the singlet and trousers that they had seen through the observation window to somewhat more formal attire. "I was going to make this a working lunch. We have quite a bit to go through."

"Where's the others?" Tonks asked.

"Having lunch elsewhere," Jonathan said, moving around and pulling Tonks' chair out, allowing her to sit down. "My apologies. My manners are a bit rusty lately."

"Well, they're pretty good to me," Tonks said as Harry sat down himself. "So, you're Jonathan Joestar, aka JoJo the First."

Jonathan chuckled a little in embarrassment and good humour. "So, my reputation precedes me?"

"Yeah, even before Dio got us," Harry said. "Jonathan Joestar, co-founder and co-funder of the Speedwagon Foundation. You're pretty famous in Magical Britain for employing Squibs and Muggleborns who struggle to find jobs elsewhere. The Blood Purists hate your guts."

Jonathan chuckled again. "Indeed. It is a tradition started by the Joestars since Victorian times. We used to possess magic ourselves, but after many of our line began to become Squibs, and we were expelled from wizarding society, we decided to dedicate our lives to assisting Squibs and Muggleborns. This was long before Robert and I established the Speedwagon Foundation, though. That was in response to specific threats. Having met Dio Brando, I am sure you know what I speak of in one regard."

"Vampires," Harry said.

"Indeed. There are two ways to create a vampire. The first is for a vampire to drink the blood of a person and to transfer some of their own blood, enough to create a vampire, as opposed to ghouls, which are effectively zombies. The second is this." Jonathan picked up a rather sinister-looking mask, carved out of stone, showing a snarling or sneering face with fangs. "Wear this, smear blood on it, and it will shoot out spikes that penetrate the skull and interfere with the brain. Even after decades of study, we only know a little more about the Stone Masks than we did before."

"Who'd want to create more vampires?" Tonks asked. "I mean, aside from Dio?"

"It's a long story," Jonathan said, before he began eating. After a moment, Tonks and Harry did so as well. Eating food felt…well, a bit strange now. It was as if the food disappeared before reaching their stomachs…though they still felt satiated.

After a few minutes, Harry looked at his hands. "Why did you have us wear gloves? You're not wearing any yourself?"

Jonathan swallowed his current piece of food, before looking at Harry. "Protection. Do you even know what Dio did to you?"

"No. He said something about Pillar Men or something like that, but I don't know what he meant," Harry said.

Jonathan nodded solemnly. "Well, it's a rather tricky thing to explain. Perhaps I should be frank. The pair of you are no longer human, not entirely. You are now hybrids of another species of hominid known as the Pillar Men."

"And what's that when it's at home?" Tonks asked.

Jonathan frowned, seemingly marshalling his thoughts. "The Pillar Men are best described as an offshoot of humanity, or at least of the hominid line that eventually evolved into Homo sapiens. One could argue that they are the pinnacle of hominid evolution. They are extremely long-lived, capable of hibernating within rocky structures for millennia. In many regards, they are like vampires, only instead of drinking blood, they absorb prey directly by merging their flesh with said prey, their cells able to exude digestive fluid."

"Hence the gloves," Harry said, looking at his hands again.

"Indeed. Pillar Men also share the weakness of vampires to sunlight, though sunlight merely makes them dormant. Specifically, ultraviolet radiation of a specific wavelength."

"Hence the dance club lighting," Tonks said.

Jonathan chuckled softly. "Yes. It's a precaution more than anything. In truth, I am probably powerful enough to deal with both of you if need be. But I don't feel the need to. After all, both of you were unwilling test subjects."

"What do you mean, powerful enough?" Harry asked.

"That's my secret, for now…unless any of you know about Hamon? The Ripple? Sendo?"

"Dio mentioned something called the Ripple, but he didn't elaborate," Tonks said.

"Very well. Now, as it stands, you're too old to go to Hogwarts now, and I doubt that they'd allow you to go, if they knew even an iota of what you've become. Given that you can't go out into sunlight anymore, concealing your new natures is virtually impossible. But as you both are victims of Dio Brando, I cannot allow you two to be left out in the cold. I'd like to consider myself a gentleman first and foremost, and as powerful as you both are, you would be considered outcasts within Magical Britain, or indeed in mainstream society. At the very least, I can offer the pair of you sanctuary within the Speedwagon Foundation. If you wish, I can even offer you employment."

"Doing what?" Harry asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"I'm still thinking about that. How much of an education were you given while in Dio's custody?"

"Dr Wang Chan educated us to what he considered a secondary level," Harry said. "He said he despised stupid people. Then again, he despised pretty much everything else."

"Hmm. Dr Chan used to do research work for us, before he tried to help Dio poison my father," Jonathan remarked. "And you do not need to accept my offer straight away by any means. I'm just placing my cards on the table."

Harry and Tonks looked at each other. "And if we refuse to work for you? If we don't want to have anything to do with the Speedwagon Foundation?" Harry asked.

"We will make arrangements for you to live somewhere. You'll be monitored until you aren't deemed a threat. Please understand, we have faced other Pillar Men before, and most of them were utterly antagonistic. We are taking precautions."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We encountered four Pillar Men, one in Mexico, and three others in Rome. Luckily, we were able to stop them, but at a terrible cost. A good friend of mine, and my teacher, William Anthony Zeppeli, died in the process of saving my life from a Pillar Man called Esidisi. The one from Mexico, Santana, disappeared after being defeated. It was probably his remains used to turn you both into Pillar Men hybrids."

"Of course it vas!"

Harry and Tonks all but jumped out of their chairs when they saw that a nearby door had opened, and a most extraordinary figure was leaning against the frame. He was a powerfully-built, handsome-looking man with blonde hair cut in a strange flat-top. However, part of his face looked mechanical, with his right eye replaced by a single lens that scrutinised them. He was dressed in a lab coat over a khaki shirt and trousers that looked vaguely militaristic.

Jonathan grimaced as he looked at the newcomer. "Doctor von Stroheim, I was in the middle of a conversation. Besides, I left strict orders that I wasn't to be disturbed."

"Und ven did I ever listen to such nonsense, Herr Joestar?" the man said, having a thick German accent. "Besides, I am sure Fraulein Joestar vould feel better at having me by your side. My body is a marvel of engineering, built for science und combat! Truly, German science und engineering is ze best in all ze vurld!"

"…You sound like a pantomime Nazi villain from Indiana Jones," Tonks said with a deadpan look.

Von Stroheim clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Ach, just because I am German und enjoy being somevat theatrical doesn't make me a Nazi! Anymore zan being a Pureblood wizard automatically meaning you are a Death Eater, ja?"

"Doctor von Stroheim used to be with the German Army, though he is also a leading expert in cybernetics," Jonathan explained. "My son and his comrade encountered him while dealing with the Pillar Men, and after he was invalided out due to injuries sustained, he joined us here at the Speedwagon Foundation."

"Ach, I prefer being a doctor zan a major, anyvay. More interesting, studying vampires und vizards und ze like."

"…So you're a cyborg?" Harry asked.

"Ja, but zat is obvious. Still, zis is very expensive. I am vorking vith Herr Joestar and Herr Speedwagon to ensure zat ze costs are less prohibitive." He fished out of his labcoat what looked like a golf ball. "Still, I can't complain about zis body," he remarked, before crushing the golf ball as if it was an egg. "Vell, maintenance is a bitch, but vat can you do? Anyvay, you two are quite fascinating. Pillar Man hybrids, und mages to boot!"

"…Mr Joestar, why do I get the feeling that he will dissect us in our sleep?" Harry asked.

"I vould never dissect someone who is alive!" von Stroheim protested. "Anyvay, ze correct term is 'vivisect' when ze person is still alive."

"Rudol, you're not making them feel at ease!" Jonathan snapped.

"JoJo!" von Stroheim snapped. Then, more quietly, his features softening, he said, "Zey just got out of being Dio Brando's verdammt guinea pigs, and zey are confined here until ve are sure zey are not a threat. How can anyone be at ease in a situation like zat? Incidentally, I came here for more zan to say Guten Abend to ze guests. Ve have received another one of You-Know-Vat after ze last one got stolen."

Jonathan seemed to look at von Stroheim, who nodded. "I see. Well, prepare to do the testing we were doing on the other."

"Of course." Doctor von Stroheim left the room.

"Sorry about Rudol," Jonathan said. "He's a good man, but he's rather enthusiastic and eccentric."

"And the 'You Know What'?" Harry asked.

"A project of ours. Aside from magic, we also investigate other paranormal abilities. What Rudol was referring to was related to one of them. Actually, Rudol didn't need to be obtuse. Long ago, a meteorite landed in Greenland, and several centuries ago, someone carved off part of the meteorite to create arrowheads with supposedly mystical properties. In truth, the mineral contains an alien virus of sorts, albeit one that can only infect through bodily fluids. Most people infected with the virus die, but others survive, and gain a strange power. They gain the ability to project their will as a kind of familiar that protects them, even can attack with special abilities. Some gain this power on their own without the need for the virus: my grandson, Jotaro Kujo, has a couple of friends who can use this power, and my granddaughter Jolyne can use one herself. These arrowheads I mentioned, then, have the ability to cause people to gain this power."

"Sounds like something worth killing for," Tonks remarked. "Is that why someone stole one of them? From you?"

"Indeed. This terrifying power, this familiar…we at the Speedwagon Foundation gave it a name. As it stands by your side in battle…we call it a Stand…"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

Dun dun DUNNNN!

It was pretty fun writing von Stroheim. I get the feeling that if he wasn't a Nazi, he'd be a mad scientist, albeit with just enough of a moral centre.

No numbered annotations this time.